Vehicle wheel connecting joint



1466 F. W. SLACK ETAL 2,40%

VEHICLE WHEEL CONNECTING JOINT Filed Feb. 19, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTO fea/vc "Wfilae/g giesier C ZZZZ.

l7 770F175 V F. w. SLACK ETAL 2,405,458 VEHICLE WHEEL CONNECTI NG JOINTFiled Feb. 19, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 6, 1946 VEHICLE WHEEL CONNECTING JOINT Frederic W. Slack,Detroit, and Chester 0. Utz, Magnolia, Mich., assignors to ChryslerCorpora tion, Highland Park, Mich, a corporation of Delaware ApplicationFebruary 19, 1945, Serial No. 578,664

by means of links.

In steerable-Wheel suspensions involving links tying-a Vehicle frame andthe steerable Wheel with universal joints between the links and awheelcarrying member, it is frequently the practice to provide aball-carrying part forming part of one universal joint with anadjustment for varying the camber and/or caster of the steerable wheel.We have devised a ball-carrying part of a special design and mounted itin a special way so that the above variation of camber and/or caster maybe conveniently and easily obtained.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved suspensionfor a vehicle frame on a steerable wheel. This suspension may involvelinks between the Vehicle frame and a carrying part for the steerablewheel and a universal joint connecting the links and the carrying part.

Another object is to improve a construction involving a link connectinga part and a frame with a universal joint between the link and the part.

A further object is to provide an adjustment in the connection of asteerable wheel to a vehicle frame for varying the camber and/or casterof the wheel.

Other objects will appear from the disclosure.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view partially in section showing the connectionof a steerable wheel to a vehicle frame; and

Fig. 2 is a view of a link and an associated part employed in theconnection of the steerable wheel to the vehicle frame.

The reference character I3 designates a vehicle frame, the front portionof which is shown in Fig. 1. An upper link I I is pivotally connected atone end by a bracket structure I2 to the vehicle frame III. This one endof link II may be forked and comes on both sides of the bracketstructure I2. The other end of the link II has an opening in which issecured a bushing I3 in any suitable manner such as by soldering orwelding. A member I4 has a, shank portion I5 in the bushing I3 and ashoulder I6 engaging one end of the bushing I3. A nut I! on the shankportion I5 at the other end of the bushing I3 secures the member I4 tothe bushing I3 against movement with respect thereto by pulling theshoulder I6 against the said one end of the bushing I3. The member I hasa spherical or ball portion I8, which is joined to' the shank portion byan intermediate portion I9. The center of the ball portion I8, indicatedat 23, is displaced from the centerline of the shank portion I5 of themember I4, indicated at 25. The ball portion I8 is part of a universaljoint 22, which includes a socket formed in the upper end of a part 23and receiving the ball portion IS. The part 23 has a spindle 24 carryinga steerable front ground wheel 25. The lower .end of the part 23 isconnected by a universal joint 23 to one end of a lower link 21, theother end of which is connected at a pivot 28 to the vehicle frame it bymeans of a bracket structure 29. The said other end of the lower link 21may be forked and in this event will come on both sides of the bracketstructure 29.

A member 30 is secured to the link 2'! and has a central portion 3|which is upwardly displaced from the link 21 and to which arebonded'resilient'bumpers 32 and 33, formed, for example, of a materialsuch asrubber. A member 33 is secured to the vehicle frame I0 and has acentral portion 35, displaced downwardly toward the member 30, from asurrounding portion 33, serving as a seat for the upper end of a coilspring 31. The lower end of the spring 3'l'rests on a seat 38 formed onthe member 30. Resilient bumpers 39 and 40 are bonded to the portion 35of the member 34 and may be formed of a material such as rubber. A rod4I extends through the resilient bumpers and the portions 3I and 35 ofthe members 30 and 34. A stop 42 secured to an intermediate portion ofthe rod 4| engages the bumper 32, and a stop 43, secured against ashoulder on the lower end of the rod 4| by. a nut 44, engages the bumper33. The stop 42 is adapted to engage the bumper 39 upon upward movementof the rod 4|, caused by upward movement of the links 2| and 21. A stop45, secured against a shoulder on the upper end of the link AI by a nut43, is adapted to engage the bumper ill upon downward movement of therod 4i due to downward movement of the links I I and 21. The member 30has an upstanding portion 4? adapted to strike the frame I 0 uponsufficient upward movement of the links II and 21. The functions andoperation of the members 30 and 34, the bumpers 32, 33, 39 and 43, andthe stops 42, 43, and 45 on the rod II are more fully described and areclaimed in the copending application of Slack and Utz, Serial No.578,665, filed February 19, 1945.

A shock absorber 48 is connected at one end to tion of the part [4extends throughthe outer.

end of the link II at a substantial angle in the neighborhood of a rightangle to the general direction of the length of the link H. Thus angularshifting of the part i4 about the axis of the shank portion [5 bringsabout an adjustment of the ball portion l8 along the general directionof the length of the link H. Thus the distance between the ball portion18 and the pivot of the link i I on the vehicle frame 10, measuredtransversely of the vehicle frame, may be adjusted. This brings atransverse adjustment of the upper end of the part 23, causing anadjustment of the camber of the wheel 25. Since the center of the ballportion l8 moves in a circle about the axis of the shank portion 15, the.ball portion [8 and the upper end of the part 23 are adjustedlengthwise of the vehicle frame l8. ,Thus the caster of the wheel 25 isadjusted.

We claim:

1. In an assembly comprising a vehicle frame, upper and lower linkspivotally connected to the vehicle frame, a wheel-supporting part, andmeans forming a universal joint between the lower link and theWheel-supporting part, the combination of the wheel-supporting part andthe upper link, of means forming a universal joint between the upperlink andthe wheel-supporting part, said means including a member havinga shank portion normally fixedly secured to and extending through theupper link at a substantial angle to its length and a spherical por tionhaving its center displaced from the axis of the shank portion andengaged by the wheelsupporting part, manual loosening of the member fromthe upper link making possible angular shifting of the member about theaxis of the shank portion resulting in shifting of the spherical portionin the direction of the length of the uppcr link.

2. In an assembly comprising a vehicle frame, a link pivotally connectedto the vehicle frame, and a wheel-carrying part, the combination withthe link andthe wheel-carrying part, of means 1 for connecting them ina. universal joint, said means including a member having a shank portionnormally fixedly secured to the link and extending at a substantialangle thereto and a ball portion having a center displaced from the axisof the shank portion and being engaged by the wheel-supporting part,manual loosening of the member from the link making possible angularshifting of the member about the axis of the shank portion resulting inshifting of the ball portion in the direction of the length of the link.

3. In an assembly comprising a vehicle frame, a link part pivotallyconnected to the vehicle frame, and a wheel-carrying part, thecombination with the aforesaid parts, of means for connecting them in auniversal joint, said means including a member havinga shank portion and2,405,458 f I V 'a, ball portion having a center displaced from the f 4.In an assembly comprising a vehicle frame,

upper and lower link parts pivotally connected to the vehicle frame, awheel-supporting part, and means forming a universal joint between thelower link part and the Wheel-supporting part, the combination with thewheel-supporting part and the upper link part, of means forming auniversal joint between these last mentioned parts, said means includinga member having a shank portion and a ball portion having a centerspaced from the axis of the shank portion, the member and one of thesaid last mentioned parts being normally fixedly secured to one another,manual loosening of the member from the said one of the last mentionedparts making possible angular shifting of the member about the axis ofthe shank portion resulting in adjustment of the position of the "ballportion with respect to the said one of the last mentioned parts and inchange of the position of the upper end of the wheel-supporting part inthe direction of the length of the upper link part. I

5. In an assembly comprising a vehicle frame, upper and lower linkspivotally connected to the vehicle frame, and a wheel-carrying partconnected in a'universal joint to one link, the com- .bination with theother link and the wheel-carrying part, of means connecting them in a.universal joint,- said means including a member having a shank portionand a ball portion having a center spaced from the axis of the shankportion, the member and the said other link being normally fixedlysecured to one another,

manual loosening of the member from the said other link making possibleangular shifting of the member about its shank portion resulting inadjustment of the position of the ball portion in the direction of thelength of the said other link.

6. In an assembly comprising a vehicle frame, upper and lower link partspivotally connected to the vehicle frame, and a wheel-carrying partconnected in a universal joint to one link part, the combination withthe other link part and the wheel-carrying part, of means connecting thesaid last two parts in a universal joint, said means including a memberhaving a shank portion and a ball portion having a center displaced fromthe axis of the shank portion, the member and one of the said last twoparts being normally fixedly secured to one another, manual loosening ofthe member from the said one of the said last two parts making possibleangular shifting of the member about the axis of the shank portionresulting in adjustment of the ball portion and in adjustment of the endof the wheel-carrying part adjacent the saidother link in the directionof the length of the said other link.

- FREDERIC W. SLACK.

CHESTER C UTZ.

